JJ DiMeo

Played by Micah Fowler

Character Biography

JJ DiMeo is a non-verbal cerebral palsy "rock star." The oldest DiMeo sibling, JJ delights in the newfound freedom that comes with having his first full-time aide. He goes to his first high school party, flirts with girls, and for the first time, even spends an entire day out and about without one of his family members tagging along. JJ is not above testing the limits of the overly inclusive school environment, whether it's getting free ice cream at lunch or joining the school choir. Mostly, JJ wants what every teenage boy wants: to be understood, play at being an adult, and mess with his younger brother as much as possible.

Micah Fowler is thrilled to be part of the amazing cast and crew of Speechless, and is honored to have been nominated for a 2017 Teen Choice Award for Choice Comedy TV Actor for his work on the show. He was also recognized in Variety's 2017 Youth Impact Report.

Micah made his television debut on an episode of Blue's Clues when he was nine and later appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street. At age 15, Micah made his feature film debut, playing the role of Barry in Jason Reitman's 2013 movie, Labor Day, opposite Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin.

In real life, Micah lives every day conquering the challenges brought on by cerebral palsy and uses both a walker and a wheelchair, the latter for longer distances. Unlike his character, Micah can speak and uses his voice to be a constant advocate for others with disabilities; he is a proud ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Fowler hopes viewers will get to know JJ as a very normal person, to the point that they don't even see JJ's disability but see him for his personality, potential and for the person he is. Micah recognizes the huge responsibility of representing the special needs community and hopes to make them proud.

Micah is an avid movie fan and especially enjoys the Marvel and D.C. Comics franchises. In addition, he is a resident expert in all things Star Wars.When not playing video games with his friends, he also plays on the Woodbridge Warriors, a sled hockey team with a very competitive group of special needs players. He's also proud of his collection of vintage cell phones, something he's always looking to add to.

Micah currently divides his time between Los Angeles and the East Coast.